Zechariah (OT)

Prophet whose visions concerning Joshua and Zerubbabel gave hope for restoration after the exile.

Background

The prophet Zechariah was a leader in the Jewish community in Jerusalem after the exile. Together with the prophet Haggai, he gave hope for the restoration of Jerusalem. In one of the visions in the book of Zechariah, the prophet saw the high priest Joshua first clad in filthy clothing and then cleansed so that he could minister faithfully. Zechariah also anticipated that the governor Zerubabel would carry out the restoration of the Temple.